Moonlight Over Red Eyes
by AnarchyZezzy
Summary: The first Moon Festival of the spring draws near, and the inhabitants of Eientei are in a rush to make enough mochi in time for it. But Reisen, still treated like an outcast, grows ever more aware of how much the others rabbits dislike her. But soon, she finds another outcast like herself.
1. Chapter 1: A Certain Aimless Youkai

She sat alone outside of her doorway, leaning against the well-worn wall and enjoying a peaceful moment in the shade as she sat and watched the goings-on around her. The rabbits had been stirred into a great fuss recently, and for good reason. Every month, on the night of the first full moon, Eientei would hold a celebration, serving handmade mochi as people gathered from all around to enjoy the festivities. And with this being the first Moon Festival of the spring, there was quite a rush for them to produce enough mochi, as the first spring festival of each year was always the busiest. As it stood, they had only produced around half of the amount they would need for such a large event.

Though the demand for more mochi was very well known to the inhabitants of Eientei, this was obvious enough. Not a single rabbit was present that wasn't either working, running, or helping in some way. That is, with the exception of a single rabbit, who could presently be found leaning against a well-worn wall in the shade, watching the scene before her.

This particular rabbit leaned forward, pushing herself up from her seated position and stepping out into light of the afternoon sun. With the impending start of spring, this month's Moon Festival would draw in countless humans and Youkai alike. As such, she had been put in charge of preparation, in hopes that they would be ready in time for the festival. She stepped off of the short step, carefully weaving between the others as they worked. Though despite the great care she took to not run into any of the other rabbits, the same courtesy was not extended by them, as one of them roughly plowed into her.

"Oof!" the offended rabbit grunted out, as she staggered backwards "Hey, watch where you're go- O-Oh, Miss Reisen! I-I apologize, I didn't see you there, I was too busy making sure everyone was working to see where I was going!" She stuttered out her words upon seeing who she'd run into, and was trying desperately to regain her composure.

Rubbing the back of her head as she pushed herself back up from the ground, Reisen Udongein Inaba smiled as she spoke. "It's alright Tewi, calm down. You're all just busy, is all, its fine, really." Standing back up, she placed her hand on Tewi's head, ruffling her hair in an attempt to calm her down. "Just get back to work, we're not going to reach our deadline if our taskmaster is busy tackling people, now are we?" She laughed and playfully pushed Tewi back toward the crowd of working rabbits.

Finally regaining her bearings, Tewi let out a heavy sigh, looking back at Eientei. "Well, Udonge, I wasn't exactly making mochi right now. We were running low on rice and I was about to head over to the fields to see about bringing back another load before we have to stop for the evening. But… seeing that you're currently unoccupied, maybe you'd like to go instead? Seeing as it'd be no good for the driving force behind the work to be absent." Tewi smiled to herself , crossing her arms over her chest in a very knowingly in-charge way.

Knowing both that Tewi was probably right and that she'd never be able to convince her otherwise, Reisen let out a reluctant sigh. "Well, fine then. I suppose I'll have to do it then, since we can't exactly have our great leader away from her post, now can we? " Turning away from the large house and busy workers, she began making her way through the tall bamboo stalks. "I'll try to be back before dark!" Setting off through the crowded forest ahead of her, she began to head towards the fields.

The path she wove between the stalks was one she had walked a thousand times before, as she was no stranger to being sentenced to deliverey duty more often than any of the other rabbits. With how peaceful Eientei was as of late, the position of head guard wasn't in need of being filled, so Reisen had more or less become a glorified delivery girl for the mansion, and since she had never learned to make mochi herself, she was left as the only real choice to send out for the last bit of rice they would need for today.

As she continued down this well-worn path to the fields, she became lost in her thoughts thinking of the festivities that would soon fill Eientei's grounds, and who would make an appearance there for the celebrations. The free food would likely draw in residents from all over the area, and possibly even beyond. Hopefully the temptation would draw Miss Yuyuko to visit, it had been so long since she'd last gotten to speak with Youmu, and maybe even Marisa or Reimu would at least stop by…

Just then, she stopped. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts that she'd strayed from the path to the field completely, and now she was lost in the midst of the impossibly tall stalks. She tried to regain her bearings, or to find the path back, but wasn't successful in either. She'd somehow managed to get herself lost.

"Aw geez…" Pulling out her cracked, old pocket watch, she checked the time, trying to regain at least some semblance of control over her situation. "Late already… it'll be dark before I get back now. Hmph." She began trying to make her way through the crowded forest, looking for a clearing, so she could at least find her way to the rice patties or at the least, back to Eientei.

Times like these reminded her that as much as she wanted to feel as if she belonged, she still was different from the other rabbits. Everything from her ears to her eyes, to her clothes and her very mannerisms was and most likely always would be just that: Different. Her grasp on the area was less than that of the earth rabbits here, who had had the luxury of living they're whole lives here, as opposed to how she had been born and raised on the Moon It was part of why she had been so accepting of the guard position when Kaguya had first offered it to her. Not only would it allow her to fully utilize her skills, but it also gave her excuse to remain separate from the others. Despite how they treated her with great respect and kindness in person, she knew that behind her back, to them she was no more than "that strange moon girl". And she couldn't blame them for thinking of her like that. It's what she was, and probably what she would remain for the entire time she remained an inhabitant of Eientei. She'd be forever known as just "that strange moon girl".

As she slowly made her way through the thicket of stalks, she eventually came upon a clearing, the clear moonlight shining down through hole in the bamboo canopy. Reisen was lucky it was so close to a full moon, the moon's light allowing her to find her way. "Hmm…" she muttered to herself quietly, thinking as she gazed up at the constellations overhead. "If that's… and that too… then that'd put me just a bit south of the fields… I think." She still wasn't accustomed to the constellations as seen from Earth, and was only just able to make out the very basics of her location. And even that was hard for her, and she couldn't be completely sure she was reading them correctly.

As she looked up at the stars overhead, trying desperately to find her way to the fields, she noticed how dark it had gotten in the forest. It was very odd; she didn't think she'd been wandering for that long at all…

"H-Hello?" a small voice called out.

Reisen leapt backwards, rapidly panning her view around the crowded forest, searching for the source of the voice. The forest was devoid of any others, or at least it should have been, especially this late at night. And with her being as lost and confused as she was, she was jumpy. "Who's there?" she called out into the dark around her. "W-Well? Answer me!"

"Hello? M-Miss?" the voice called out again, this time its owner stepping out into the last bit of moonlight from overhead. She appeared to be a young girl of around her early teens, in a simple black dress and white shirt, wearing two red ribbons, one around her collar, the other tied into her bright blond hair. "W-Were you lost, miss?"

She began to loosen up a bit upon seeing where the voice had originated from. She seemed innocent enough, a young child. But on closer inspection, she saw her dress was torn around the edges, with faded stains here and there, though she couldn't tell what it was stained with. Recomposing herself, she stepped forwards, speaking calmly to this mysterious little girl. "Well… I was a bit lost, yes. Were you lost as well, or…?"

"Hmmmmmm… no, I wasn't lost, miss. But I saw you were, o-or at least you looked like it." she replied back quietly, almost completely silently. "I-I was just wanting to know if you needed help in getting out of the woods…" She seemed almost shy, almost… almost like she was afraid of her. Or like she had just learned to be afraid of most people she met.

Trying not to scare her, Reisen tried to speak softly and calmly to this girl. "I would like a bit of direction, actually. I've been wandering for some time now and I'd like to be able to get home soon. So any help would be much appreciated!" She smiled warmly, trying to comfort the young girl. "Do you have a name?"

"R-Rumia. My name is Rumia." she replied, seemingly a bit more at ease now that she'd seen Reisen meant her no harm. "The nearest way out would be… this way, miss." Pointing off a in a seemingly random direction, she gestured for Reisen to follow her, and she wasted no time in doing so.

"It's nice to meet you, Rumia. My name's Reisen, Reisen Udongein Inaba." She hoped that maybe if she introduced herself, Rumia would feel more at ease. "Do you live around here?"

"Not exactly… I more or less just… wander. I d-don't really live anywhere." she replied, almost sadly.

"No home? None at all? I could have sworn you'd come from the human village or such…"

"The human village? No… no I don't like to go near there anymore. They don't like youkai, and always throw things, and yell at me, and try to drive me off when I go near." she replied back. "I-I prefer to stay here in the forest, or a few places nearby. The other youkai are nicer, though they usually stay away from me…"

Reisen began to feel sad for this girl, seemingly all alone and outcast. She knew Keine wasn't exactly fond of youkai coming into the village most times, but to actively cast this one away… what was it that she'd done to become a pariah?...

"You h-have pretty eyes, miss."

"Hm?" Reisen noticed that Rumia had stopped walking, and they'd arrived at the southern edge of the fields finally. Rumia was standing next to her, her eyes looking up into her own. Her bright, red eyes, so very similar to her own. "O-Oh! Thank you, I'm not sure how long I'd have been lost otherwise. I really appreciate the help, Rumia." She laid a hand on her head, ruffling her hair a bit before making her way towards the fields nearby. She turned around a few steps later, looking back at her shy guide behind her, a grin on her face. "I… thanks again, Rumia." She waved back at her, before turning back towards the fields in front of her, the moonlight overhead illuminating her quiet smile.


	2. Chapter 2: That Strange Moon Girl

Despite it being near midnight, the moonlight still shone down bright enough to illuminate the lone figure emerging from the forest and into the Eientei. Carrying two large sacks of fresh rice, Reisen had finally managed to get back to the mansion after her prolonged nightly walk, carrying her load of rice proudly. Being as late as it was, the other rabbits had stopped work for the day, their tools still laid haphazardly around the yard. Dragging her delivery, she deposited it near the emptied bags of rice from today, before having to drag herself off to her room, pulling her sheets over her, and trying desperately to sleep. As tired as she was from the day, it didn't prove too hard.

She awoke later than was normal the next day, the sounds of working rabbits already filling the air outside her room. Quickly bathing and pulling on a fresh set of clothes, she stepped outside, still groggy and half-asleep.

The yard looked largely the same as the day before, everyone present working fervently at making mochi for the festival. She took a short moment to stand in the shade of the small porch outside of her room, before stepping down and beginning her search for Tewi. Hearing a loud voice shouting at a group nearby, she smiled and made her way towards what was obviously her.

Her guess proved correct, as she found Tewi standing upon a large stump in the center of a group of workers, shouting orders and words of "motivation" to them as they labored. Reisen weaved between them, desperately trying not to run disturb any of their work.

Upon seeing her, Tewi ceased her yelling, stepping off her stump to greet her. "Udonge! And here I was getting worried if you'd been… ya know. Glad to see you're still with us though!" Despite her words, her tone was more annoyed than worried, like she'd cared more about the deliverey of rice than the one delivering it. "And you got the rice for us, so even better!" She smiled brightly like it was all some great joke. "Though I'm not so sure that we'll get too much use out of just 2 bags, try as we might…"

Reisen sighed deeply. "I guess that means you'll want me to bring back some more, then? And more than two this time as well?"

"Well, if you're offering, I'd be ever so grateful for the assistance!" Tewi replied with a playful grin. "Make sure you get as much as you can carry! And try to not get lost this time!" She climbed back onto her stump, and resumed her shouting of commands at the workers, ignoring any refusal or rebuttal on Reisen's part.

She was left with no real choice now, and seeing as she had nothing better to do with her time, she sighed one last time before reluctantly heading towards the forest entrance.

Once there, she stopped and leaned against a tall post for a moment. She knew that they really needed the rice, and she was logically the best choice to get it for them, but the way Tewi had told her, the tone of her voice and how she was so prepared to send her away again… It was like they didn't want her around. Like she was more of a burden to them than anything else. She didn't doubt that at all. She'd been living here for close to a year and a half now, but it was almost no better than when she'd first arrived in Eientei. She tried to recall her arrival here, to this land of Gensokyo.

It had been dark, she remembered that quite clearly. Extremely dark, as it had been close to midnight when she'd arrived. She'd had no idea how she'd managed to convince one of the older Lunarians to open up one of the old paths to Earth, but she was endlessly thankful to them. She'd have likely ended up dead in the crossfire of that damn war otherwise. She had been meant to come back with two others that night, but things had gone horribly wrong. They'd somehow been found out, and were hunted down right before they could flee. The other two had been too slow, they'd been caught, and… she tried to put those thoughts out of her mind. To flee the war effort was seen as treason, and treason had been punishable by death under their desperate leaders. They hadn't caught her though, she'd somehow managed to outrun them in a mad dash for freedom. She'd arrived to the destination alone, terrified and out of breath, nearly incoherent. The older man tried to calm her down, rushing to prepare their escape path. She'd had to fight and run through all manner of guards to get here, she'd thought, and she would finally be free of it all, free of the war. Free of the guards and free of the ever present fear of death that had loomed over her head for months. But in the end, it almost proved to be too good to be true, for as soon as the pathway had been forced open, 3 more of the guards slammed into the room they had been hiding in. She'd been frozen in fear, knowing that she'd come so far for nothing, that she'd never escape from here. The other Lunarian there hadn't locked up in fear, and with this last act of desperation, he pushed her aside, leaping into the guards before they could train their weapons on Reisen. He screamed back at her to go, to just escape, the gateway he'd opened still open, but rapidly closing. Grasping the last bit of strength she'd had, tears in her eyes, she'd ran, forcing herself through as it the link between freedom and the horror she'd somehow managed to live through.

She'd never fully understood how the long-distance gates had worked, only that the secret to making them work was closely guarded, and only a handful of Lunarians could open them. All she knew was that she heard a loud 'POP' and felt as if she was being forced through a thick tube of some sort, until she'd arrived at the other end. The gate she'd taken had been rushed and imperfect, and she reappeared almost three feet above the ground. She fell hard into the wet mud below, as the heavy rain poured onto her back. For a while, she just laid there in the mud, her tears mixing with the blood from the numerous scratches on her face and the mud she was lying in. She couldn't stop her tears, at all that had happened. Three others had died for her to get here, three others that had just as much right to escape as she did. Why the hell had she been the one to survive? It was… it was unfair, she didn't deserve this, the others should've lived, and she should've been the one to die back there. She knew this had to be the case, that it had to be true, that this was all wrong, and she continued to lie alone in the mud, crying to herself, still afraid and confused.

She had no idea how long she'd lain there wallowing in the mud and her own pity, but she eventually felt a light tap on her side. Trying to pull herself together, she attempted to push herself back upright, knowing she had to do something other than lie here forever. As she began to push herself back upright, she saw that the something that she had felt tap her was in fact someone's foot.

The owner of the foot was a woman in a pair of dark red overalls, covered in small paper charms, with a brown shirt underneath, and a large red and white ribbon tied in her silver white hair. Upon Reisen stirring from her place on the ground, she gained a mildly shocked expression. "Oh, you are still alive. Here I thought I just had a dead body lying in my yard." The way she talked made it sound like finding what she had believed to be a corpse in front of her home wasn't as much of a surprise as it should have been. She extended a hand down to help Reisen up, before making her way back towards her home, gesturing back at Reisen. "C'mon inside. Lay out there much longer, you may actually end up dead." Without any other real choices, Reisen followed her inside.

Her home turned out to be a small, simple house situated in the center of this forest clearing. She didn't have much in the way of belongings, just a table, chairs, and a fireplace occupied the main room, with doors leading to what she assumed to be a pantry and a pair of bedrooms on one wall. She took Reisen's muddy and stained clothing, giving her a few simple articles to wear while she washed them for her. They both sat at her table, still sopping wet as the woman lit the small fireplace, seemingly without any sort of tool, much to Reisen's surprise. Turning back to her, she asked a few questions about Reisen herself, and how she'd ended up here in what she'd called "Gensokyo". She told her about the war, and what all had happened tonight, and how it had driven her here. She tried to keep her composure as she recounted the events, but couldn't help but tearing up a bit. The woman sat and listened to her with her eyes closed, taking it all in as she talked. After she was done talking, the other woman opened her eyes, and began to tell her about where she'd ended up. The land was known as "Gensokyo", and more specifically, she'd ended up in an area known as the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Quite the coincidence, as she was very much lost here, this entire world different to the one she was used to. The woman, who had told her she was named Fujiwara no Mokou, offered Reisen her free room for the night, since it had already gotten so late. She accepted gratefully, before quickly entering her room, and lying down, hoping to be able to sleep.

But sadly, sleep would not come. She lay there through the night, unable to rest or to even close her eyes for too long. She was still on edge from earlier, and her body felt like it refused to adapt to this new world. The very thought sounded odd when she ran it through her head, as if every part of her refused to accept that she was no longer anywhere near her home, and would likely never see it again.

Had it even been worth it, to have sacrificed so much to get her here? She had wanted to think so, but she couldn't help herself from agonizing over cruel the reality of it actually was. She had never been very important, never had any important rank or position, and no major skills beyond soldiering. She was nothing, a nobody, and somehow it had been her to live. She kept trying to justify the events in her head, but she knew that it was futile, as she felt the tears stream down her face.

She cried through most of the night, shedding her silent tears over, and feeling no reason that she should try to stop herself. She had no idea how long she'd stayed like this, only that it had been at least a few hours before she'd been able to calm down. She'd wiped her face off with one hand, as some voice in the back of her head had spoken up, telling her that there was no point in continuing to cry, that it wouldn't bring any of them back, and that if she kept agonizing over their sacrifice like this, then she was dishonoring their memory with her own despair.

The voice was right. There was no point in treating this series of events like it was some horrible crime she'd committed. She was alive, and more importantly, she was finally free. She forced a small smile at this thought, as her eyes slowly shut, and she finally managed to get some much needed rest.

Her brief rest didn't last long, as a short while after, the sun began to rise and the sound of a tea kettle forced her awake. Yawning deeply, she had forced herself out of the bed, stepping out of the small bedroom and into the small kitchen area. She found Mokou there, sipping a cup of freshly made tea, a plate of some simple biscuits laid on the table.

"Morning." Mokou said as she looked up at disheveled girl in front of her, as she gestured at the tea and biscuits. "Help yourself." Reisen wasted no time in accepting her offer gratefully, only now realizing how hungry she'd been. Mokou watched her eat, quietly sipping her tea as she did so.

Having sufficiently had her fill, Reisen looked up at the woman opposite her, her gaze flat and almost uncaring. Having waited long enough for Reisen to finish her breakfast, Mokou finally spoke up. "So, Miss Reisen, I know you aren't exactly the most… prepared traveler, but I feel the need to ask where you plan to go from here. I can't exactly house you forever, and I'd doubt you'd want to live here for any extended period."

"Hmm…." She hadn't considered where she would go once she arrived on Earth, only that she had to get there. And having finally made her way here, she realized she knew almost nothing of where she truly was, or of any of the towns or cities nearby. And even then, she doubted most of them would allow someone like her to live there. "I-I… I don't think I really thought that far ahead when I left. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not sure I have any idea about this… Gensokyo place at all."

Mokou let out a heavy sigh, as if she was expecting just that. "I can't say I'm surprised, though it is a bit of an issue having no place to go…" She paused, the look on her face suggesting she had just thought of something, and wasn't too sure if she was happy or annoyed with it. "Actually… there is one place I know of that may take you in. It's not too far from here either. Though I can't say I'm exactly fond of the residents there."

"Oh? If it's somewhere that will take me, I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" she replied, her ears perking up in some slight excitement at this news that she may not be as hopeless a cause as she'd thought.

"Yeah, they'd probably take you in gladly. They're Lunarians, like you. Not rabbits, mind you, but Lunarians all the same. Fugitives as well, so you'll have that in common." While she was trying to explain about this place to Reisen calmly, something on Mokou's face suggested that they weren't exactly cozy neighbors. "Came here a few years ago and took up residence in an old mansion here in the forest."

"Other Lunarians? Here, really?" Reisen was in disbelief, she was sure she'd never see another Lunarian again after coming here, but now it seemed like she'd found another refuge for escapees like her. It was all she could do to keep herself from breaking into a childish grin.

"Yeah, like I said, other runaways. I'd show you the way myself, but… it'd be better for everyone if I kept my distance from the place. I can have Keine take you that way if you're set on heading out there." Mokou stood from the table, making her way outside, tossing a bundle of fabric back at Reisen. "There're your clothes. A bit cleaner than last night, though I'd try to avoid falling in them like that anymore."

Catching the bundle of clothes, she nodded before changing out of the ill-fitting ones she'd had to borrow from Mokou. She tried to control her excitement at the news that there were others like her so close by, but remained a bit suspicious at how Mokou referred to them. Something about her manner of speaking made her think that she had a bit of bad history with them at some point.

It wasn't long that she had to wait before the woman Mokou mentioned earlier arrived. She was a human, like Mokou, but wore a blue and white dress, along with a strange blue hat covered in glyphs, obviously of some importance. Whereas Mokou had a very emotionless, almost monotone demeanor, Keine seemed much happier and livelier. She had a smile across her face as she arrived, handing Mokou a large basket, presumably full of food and other things she needed living out this far in the woods. They talked for a short while, obviously enjoying each other's company, before Mokou began to explain the events of the previous night, gesturing for Reisen to come over.

She made her way to the chatting pair, smiling awkwardly and trying to be polite. Keine smiled back warmly at her, bowing and extending a hand towards her. "You must be Reisen, Mokou here just finished telling me of the interesting series of events that saw you arrive here last night. My name is Keine, Keine Kamishirasawa."

Reisen bowed back, before taking the proffered hand, shaking it in greeting. "It's nice to m-meet you, Miss Keine." She held her small bag of clothing and other belongings tightly to her chest, perhaps a bit too tightly.

Keine laughed as she shook her hand, seeing how uncomfortable Reisen was. "Please, just Keine. Only my students call me Miss, there's no need to be so formal about it. So, Mokou told me you were interested in going to Eientei, correct?"

She nodded. "Y-Yes, she told me there were other Lunarians like me there, and that they might allow me to take up residence there. I was hopeful they'd do that, since it doesn't seem I have much other choice of where to go."

"Ah, of course, of course. I'd offer you a place in the human village, but… something tells me you'd prefer Eientei. Eientei it is then!" Smiling she said her farewells to Mokou, who walked back to her own home with an exhausted sigh.

Reisen and Keine began making their way through the forest, quickly putting the small home behind them as they made their way towards the mansion of Eientei. As they walked, Keine talked to her, telling her about Gensokyo, the human village, and other things. She told her of another mansion, larger than the one they were currently heading towards, occupied by a pair of vampires, as well as some other wonders of the land. The more she talked, the more Reisen's head spun, trying to take in all this raw once.

It turned out not to be too long of a walk to Eientei, and the pair soon reached a large clearing in the forest, occupied by a large, traditional Japanese building, with a large number of what appeared to be young girls running to and fro about the front yard. They made their way towards the mansion, Keine saying hello to some of the girls, who Reisen now noticed were rabbits similar to her, albeit with smaller, rounder ears.

The two of them finally reached the mansion, and Keine knocked softly on the door. It wasn't long before it was answered by another woman, wearing a long red and blue dress with a matching hat adorned with a cross symbol. She smiled when she saw Keine, as they shared greetings and chatted as they entered the mansion.

They came to a short table and sat, Keine beginning to tell the woman the story of how Reisen came to be here, almost word for word as Mokou had told her originally. She listened carefully, her eyes closed as she made sure not to interrupt, but nodding every now and then. Once Keine was finished, the other woman reopened her eyes, and smiled at Reisen.

"Well then, Miss… Inaba, was it? I can tell from what Keine here has told me that you had quite the evening. And moreover, that you were seeking a place of refuge, correct? I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Eirin Yagokoro." " She spoke with a quiet smile, seemingly very calm.

"E-Eirin… Yagokoro?" Reisen's eyes grew wide at the woman's name. She'd known the two Lunarians living here had fled like her, but he had no idea one of them was… her.

She laughed lightly at Reisen's startled reaction, as if she'd been expecting it. "So I take it you recognize the name then, child? The surprise is understandable, I suppose. Though… if you truly are a Lunarian, which I may add it's quite hard to doubt with those ears of yours, you'd be the first Lunarian to arrive in Gensokyo since, well, myself. It's certainly quite something to see you here." She spoke calmly, with an almost ladylike tone to her voice.

"So… we're the only Lunarians here then?" Reisen replied, a bit shakily. It was only now really beginning to hit her that she was well and truly in a world not her own. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

"That's correct, at least to my knowledge. Just you, myself, and… oh, I do have someone else to introduce you to!" She grinned widely in some great excitement as she spoke. And frankly, Reisen wasn't sure if she should be excited, worried, or confused. And before she could decide, Eirin stood from her seat, and gestured for her to come with her as she said a few parting words with Keine. "If you would, please come with me Miss Reisen."

She stood as well, saying her goodbyes to Keine and thanking her before following quickly after Eirin as she took her deeper into the mansion, walking past door after door after door, seeing more of the girls who Reisen could only assume to be Earth's rabbits.

After some time, Eirin stopped in front of a door seemingly no different than the others they'd passed, before turning to face her. "Well, here we are. This is the mistress's room, and I'm sure she'd want to speak with a fellow Lunarian, and it's always refreshing to see a fresh face around here." With another of her off-putting smiles that looked so out of place on her face, she slid the door open and they both entered.

The room itself was incredibly plain, with only a bed, table, and a few odd belongings scattered about in a sort of organized chaos. And at the center, at the small table, sat a girl in a simple pink shirt and dark red skirt, her long hair hanging down well past her shoulders. She looked up at her two guests to her room in mild surprise, carefully sipping her tea before greeting them both.

"Oh, Eirin, you're back again. And… may I ask who your friend is? I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting her before now." She spoke slowly, almost dragging her words out as she spoke to them.

Eirin bowed politely to the girl, Reisen following suit. "Ah, of course. This is Reisen Udongein Inaba, a Lunarian recent arrived in Gensokyo. And Reisen, this is my mistress, Miss Kaguya Houraisan."

The girl stood, smiling in an almost motherly way, so very much unlike Eirin's smile, walking towards her guests. Reisen held out her hand as to greet her, but was almost shocked when Kaguya pulled her into a tight embrace, like she the two of them were old friends. She held her like this for a short while before stepping back with a bit of a more awkward smile, as if she'd embarrassed herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Reisen. It's been so long since I've gotten to meet another Lunarian, that I fear I'd almost forgotten I'm not… well, from here."

Reisen fumbled for her words a bit, lost for what to say. Catching her silence, Eirin stepped forward, catching Kaguya's attention. "Reisen here is a bit… displaced at the moment, as I'm sure you can understand. She's expressed an interest in taking up a residence here, and I thought it only fair that-"

Kaguya raused her hand abruptly, interrupting Eirin. "You need say no more. If she's truly a Lunarian with no home, then she's welcome to stay here."

For the first time since she'd arrived in Eientei, Reisen smiled. "R-Really? Just like that, you'd have me? Thank you, oh thank you so much Miss Kaguya!" She'd been so worried that they'd turn her away without a second thought, but it'd been very well near the opposite.

"Think nothing of it, you're the first Lunarian here since the two of us, and I see no reason why you wouldn't deserve a home here. Though I feel it only fair that you to at least work to some degree while you stay here. I feel like I'm asking a lot, but at the same time I think it only fair."

"Oh, I'd be more than happy to work, anything you need from me! Though, I fear I'm not good at much of anything… But I can try!"

Kaguya smiled. "Wonderful. Then as of now, consider yourself a resident member of Eientei, Reisen."


	3. Chapter 3: A Long, Moonlit Night

In the days, weeks, and months following, Reisen started to become more comfortable in her new home. Almost every day, she spent time with Keine, learning about Gensokyo and its history and inhabitants, or with Eirin, learning medicine and doing all she could to assist her with her duties around the mansion. And on some days, she was lucky enough to get to spend a few hours with Kaguya herself, simply talking with her and keeping her company. She was quite the woman, always happy and smiling as she spoke, though every now and again, she'd have a bad coughing fit or sharp pain, and Reisen would have to call Eirin in to help her. She asked Eirin about it more than once, and if there was anything she could do to help her, but the answer was always the same. The Hourai Elixir had given her immortality, but the hundreds of years she'd been alive were finally starting to take some toll on her already frail body. And as much as Reisen wanted to be able to help her in some way, Eirin had stressed to her again and again that there was nothing for it other than some medications and patience.

These were always the highlights of her days, when she actually could feel useful to someone. But sadly, the majority of her time was spent either about the mansion, or working with the other rabbits. And while she had nothing against any of them, she couldn't help but feel as if they disliked her. It was almost like she could feel it, in the sideways glances they threw her way, or the hushed whispering when she passed by, that silent understanding that she didn't belong here, that she wasn't one of them.

It was more than obvious enough to see by just their appearances. Reisen stood as tall as a normal human woman, while the Earth rabbits were much shorter, around the height of a young girl. Their ears were short and rounded, a stark contrast from her tall, white ears. Even their clothing stood her apart from them, her skirt and jacket so obviously different than their simple pink dresses.

It was like this every day that she stayed at Eientei, doing her daily duties as she tried to just ignore it all and simply work. Some days were better than others, but for the most part it all just became one big blur of uneventfulness, day in and day out. And as much as she told herself she was enjoying her life at Eientei, she wasn't actually sure if she was anymore.

But seeing as she really didn't have any other options, she'd just have to get over it. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself to try and feel better about things.

Reisen sighed, standing back upright as she ended her reminiscences. She still had quite the trip make today, and she wanted to actually get back before midnight this time. With that, she set out from Eientei's grounds towards the fields once more.

This time, she made sure to focus on her path so as to not get so helplessly lost like she had during last night's little adventure. She stuck close to the dirt trail, making absolutely certain she wasn't straying off into the woods.

This time, the trip didn't take nearly as long, and she soon found herself at the rice fields. It was quiet today, the only sound being the gentle breeze running through the clearing as the bamboo rustled in the wind.

Reisen made her way over to the patties, soon noticing she wasn't alone in the clearing. Facing away from her as she looked over the fields, was Mokou. It wasn't exactly surprising to see her here, seeing as she was the closest thing the fields here had to a caretaker.

She made her way towards Mokou, waving as both a greeting and a means of getting her attention. It wasn't long before the woman actually took notice of her, waving back halfheartedly, more concerned with the fields than her newfound guest.

"Oh, Reisen. Been a while since I've seen you around here." Mokou spoke with her usual monotone manner, which still managed to make Reisen more uncomfortable than it should have. "Guessing you're here for the rice, then?"

Reisen nodded. Despite Mokou's dislike of a few certain residents of Eientei, Mokou was usually a huge help with the Moon Festival, bagging up the rice that they needed for all the mochi they made. Today was no different, and Mokou had already filled 6 sacks full to burst. She wasn't exactly looking forward to carrying it all back herself, but she really didn't have any other options, seeing as Mokou wouldn't be persuaded to come to Eientei.

She managed to lug all six bags over her shoulders eventually, her Lunarian strength making it possible to lift all that weight. Despite that, it was still both extremely heavy and entirely unwieldy, making it a bit harder to actually walk with them all. She said her goodbyes and turned to leave, dreading the trip back, before Mokou spoke up again.

"Hey, I almost forgot to ask. Young girl, black dress, big red ribbon. You seen her?" Mokou spoke with her usual lack of emotion, though Reisen detected a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Rumia? Yeah, I have. I was actually wondering where she was from, I've never seen her around the forest before."

"Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that she showed around here recently. Looked hungry and a little worse for wear."

"Yeah… She kinda worried me, being out in the forest alone like that."

So Mokou had seen Rumia too, then. She wasn't surprised, Mokou knew the forest better than anyone else. It still didn't change the fact that she was both worried and confused about her.

With nothing left to do here, she said her goodbyes for a second time, and started back towards Eientei, her load of rice weighing down on her more by the minute.

As much as she wanted to make the entire trip in one go, she eventually had to stop to catch her breath, almost throwing her bags down before flopping down against a tree. She knew she needed to get back soon, but her legs refused to go even one step further.

It wasn't so bad here, either. It was a decently large clearing, and the cool evening breeze was rather pleasant. And with how tired she was, it was nice to take a little break like this…

Not surprisingly, she soon fell asleep.

She didn't get to stay asleep for too long, and she soon found a hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake rather gently.

"Hello?"

Still stuck in that half-asleep state, it took Reisen a moment to adjust her eyes and actually take in her surroundings, most notably the black-clad girl with a firm grasp of her shoulder.

She took a moment to rub at her eyes, before addressing her newfound awakener.

"Ugh… Rumia?"

The girl nodded. "Miss… Reisen, was it? You seemed to have fallen asleep…"

"Yeah, I guess… I guess I did." As she finally began to properly wake up, she noticed how dark it had gotten. She couldn't have been asleep for more than a few hours, but it looked like it was already the dead of night…

"Did you get lost again, miss?" Rumia asked her, looking for all the world much too uncaring of wandering around in the forest at this hour.

"No, no, not this time. Just stopped to take a bit of a rest and ended up staying for a bit longer than I intended, is all." She tried to nonchalantly laugh it off, but Rumia could tell just as well as she could that Reisen's extended nap was more than a little inconvenience.

With a heavy sigh, Reisen pushed herself upright as Rumia looked at her with her strange childlike curiosity. She glanced over to the heavy bags of rice next to her and groaned audibly, knowing she'd have to lug them back herself in the dark. And she wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

Rumia caught her gaze, following it to the loose pile of rice sacks. "Oh, what's that? They're yours, aren't they?"

Reisen nodded. "Yeah, they're mine. It's just rice. Lots and lots of rice…" She picked up one of the bags, holding it for a moment before heaving it onto her back, her shoulder still sore from earlier.

The girl shifted her gaze from Reisen, to the sacks of rice, and back to Reisen. "Are you sure you can carry all those? They look a bit heavy…" Her voice actually carried a hint of concern in it as she spoke.

"I got them this far, so I should be able to get them back home at least. Besides, I don't really have a choice in whether or not I get them back tonight." She was caught off guard by the sudden concern from this girl she hardly knew.

"Oh… Then maybe I could help you carry them then?" Rumia had this look of sincere desire to help her. Reisen wasn't sure if she should be grateful, worried, or both. But despite any concerns she might have, she really could use the help.

"I guess if you really want to, I'd appreciate the help. Just try not to hurt yourself, they're pretty heavy." Despite her warning to the girl, she'd hardly even finished speaking before Rumia had thrown one of the bags over her shoulder, showing not even the first sign of struggling with the weight, which was certainly intriguing with her otherwise scrawny appearance.

After a few minutes, they managed to distribute all six bags between the both of them, with Reisen carrying four, and Rumia taking the other two with a surprising amount of ease.

"So where are we taking these, miss? Your home, right? Do you live in the forest?" Rumia seemed much different than the last time they'd met, more curious than afraid.

"I do, at a big mansion named Eientei. Surely you've seen it if you've been through the forest enough."

"O-Oh, that place… I've seen it before, but I never got too close. I don't really like large groups of people…" Her voice had lost some of the enthusiasm from before as it slowly descended into a more saddened tone.

Reisen felt like she'd forced some issue that Rumia didn't want to talk about, and she most certainly didn't want to end up scaring the girl off. She seemed like her life had been hard enough already. She felt this strange urge to help her, keep her safe. She'd never really felt that way about anyone before, and it confused her to no end. Maybe her loneliness was finally getting the best of her and she was just subconsciously attaching herself to this girl. But… but was that really such a bad thing?

"It's not so bad there, really. Most of the rabbits you see working don't stay around all the time. At night it's quite peaceful, even. Just a big, quiet, empty house. No crowds to worry about." Reisen smiled softly at the girl, trying to convince her things weren't all that bad.

"Really?" Rumia looked back at her, returning a small smile, almost unnoticeable. "Are there any, um… humans living there?"

"Humans? No, just the earth rabbits, myself, Miss Eirin, and Mistress Kaguya, both Lunarians. Why do you ask?" It was a rather odd question coming from the girl, who seemed to be human herself.

"Just… Just curious, is all." She looked away, focusing once again on the path they were taking, a look of slight relief on her face as she walked. This girl became more and more confusing with every minute that passed…

They talked a bit more as they walked, but for the most part it was silent as they made their journey, the quiet noises of the forest and the moon overhead keeping them company as they traveled. It proved to not be too far from Eientei, and they arrived rather quickly, much faster than Reisen expected.

Reisen showed Rumia to the storage area, before both depositing their loads of rice, earning a long, relieved sigh from the both of them.

As she sat down against the outside wall of Eientei, she gestured for Rumia to sit next to her, which she did quickly, quite obviously more tired from carrying the rice than she wanted to let on.

They sat there in silence for a while, simply listening to the sounds of the forest at night, the crickets chirping, and the bamboo stalks swaying, and a million and one other indistinguishable sounds, all mixed into a cacophony that still somehow managed to be almost serene.

It wasn't long before Reisen heard a new sound in the mix of noise around her. She heard the small, quiet snoring from next to her as Rumia had begun to doze off, her head sliding onto Reisen's shoulder. She couldn't help but smile, a small laugh forcing itself out of her. The sound and sudden movement was enough to shake Rumia out of her sleep, as she looked up a bit guiltily at Reisen.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry miss, I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine, really. And you don't have to call me miss, Rumia." She gently placed one hand on Rumia's head, ruffling her hair playfully. "Just call me Reisen, please."

"Alright… Reisen." She smiled, not the small, hidden smile from earlier, but a genuine, sincere smile. It was a smile Reisen could get used to seeing, she thought.

"Do you do this a lot, Rumia? Just… sit and listen like this?"

"Mm hmm. It's usually the only way I can ever get to sleep, the forest is so soothing on nights like this… and the moon too. Sometimes I just lie awake for hours, watching it." As she spoke, she laid her head in Reisen's lap, almost like she didn't even notice she'd done it. And she couldn't help but feel a bit happier from it, as she slowly stroked the girl's bright blonde hair with one hand.

"I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who does that." She laughed softly to herself. "Some of the other rabbits call me crazy, but… Well, I'm a Lunarian. It's only natural that I like watching the moon, right?"

"A Lunarian… so, you came from the moon then, Reisen?" Rumia looked up at her with the look of a curious child who wanted to know all the world would teach her.

"I did. I lived there for a long time before I came here. It was certainly quite a place…"

"Why did you leave?"

Reisen hesitated a moment before answering her, some memories still too fresh in her mind. "Some things happened and I had to leave. It's… It's a long story with some bad memories for me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked…"

"No, no, it's fine. Really."

"If you say so…"

They stayed like this a while longer, not speaking as they enjoyed the peace and each other's company.

Eventually, Reisen had to break this silence to keep them both from falling asleep again. "So, Rumia. Can you tell me a little about yourself? I feel like I hardly know you."

"W-What is it you want to know?" Her shy demeanor had returned in response to Reisen's question, almost as if she didn't want to have to tell her.

"Well, don't you have a family? Someone who raised you, at least?" She tried to keep her questions simple, not wanting to make Rumia uncomfortable.

"I, um… I lived with a family in the human village. At least I did until… I had to leave." She seemed as if she'd been struggling to finish her sentence, like the mere act of talking about these people was something she wanted to keep private.

"I see. Did something happen to them?"

She nodded, her head still in Reisen's lap, but her face turned to look at the forest, rather than at the Lunarian. It was obvious Rumia didn't want to say anymore on the subject, so she decided not to pry any further.

"Well, thanks for all the help today Rumia. I really do appreciate it, even though I do feel like I asked a bit much of you." She giggled, hoping the change of tone and subject would brighten Rumia's mood.

"Oh, it was no trouble, really. I was happy to help. Do you have to deliver these often?

"Yeah, I do. We always need a lot of rice for the festival each month, and the rest of the rabbits are usually so busy with their work that I have to to be the one to get it."

"A festival?" Rumia looked back up at her, a spark of childish intrigue in her eyes. "What kind of festival?"

"A Moon Festival. Once a month, on the night of the full moon, Eientei holds a big festival to celebrate. People from all over Gensokyo come to visit, and the rabbits serve mochi. It's certainly something."

"It sounds fun! But… lots of people, you said?"

"Mm hmm. It's usually a fairly crowded affair."

"I'd love to be able to see it one day…"

Reisen smiled, returning Rumia's gaze. "How about I make you a deal then?"

"A deal? What kind of deal?" She cocked her head to the side, a bit confused.

"Well, since I need to keep delivering rice every day, and you want to go to the festival, we can help each other out. You can help me make my deliveries each day, and in return, I can ask Miss Kaguya to allow you to attend." She almost felt bad for what was almost bribing Rumia to help her work, but in truth, she didn't really mind if Rumia didn't help. She just wanted the excuse to spend more time with the girl.

"Y-You'd really do that for me?" The gleam of curiosity grew, her eyes now twinkling with excitement.

"Of course I would, you seemed like you really wanted to attend, and it'd be wrong of me to not let you."

"Oh, thank you Reisen, thank you!" Rumia nearly leapt up, pulling Reisen into an unexpectedly tight embrace, a few small tears of happiness dripping onto her clothes.

"Hey, hey, it's no big deal, really!" This sudden outpouring of affection caught Reisen off guard. She wasn't used to anything like it, but… she couldn't help but return the girl's hug, the feeling of actually being appreciated by another living creature like this being one she'd not felt for a very long time.

"Still… I'm really thankful. Truly." Neither one of them released the embrace, and neither one of them really wanted it to end just yet either.

"You still have to help me out on my end of the deal too, alright?"

Rumia nodded. "Of course, I'd love to help."

"I'm glad to hear I'll get to see you more often, then." She smiled in quiet happiness. "But I think it's getting a bit late for the both of us."

Rumia seemed to have completely forgotten the time at all until now. "Oh, right. I should be heading off, then."

The two of them finally stood back up, dusting themselves off. "And I should be getting to sleep. Thanks again Rumia. And I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah… See you then, Reisen." With one last smile, Rumia turned away, heading back off in to the dark of the forest.


End file.
